Theodore m



"T. LANE. WASHING MACHINE.

(Model.)

No, 244,464. Patented July 19,1881.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE M. LANE, OF LOOKE, NEW YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 244,464, dated July 19,1881.

Application filed Ma is, 1881. Modem To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, THEODORE M LANE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Locke, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have inventedcertain new. and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, and to the lettersand figures ofreference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a cross-section of my invention, and Fig. 2is a perspective view of the cylinder disconnected from the boiler.

The present invention has relation to that class of Washing-machinesconsisting of a cylinder supported within a boiler or other vessel tocontain the soap and water, the clothes to be washed being placed withinthe cylinder and the latter revolved, the soapsuds or water circulatingthrough the same while in motion. In order to produce a rubbing actionon the clothes during the rotation of the cylinder, the peripherythereof was fluted or formed of longitudinal corrugations, the waterbeing admitted through suitable perforations or holes. Thesecorrugations or flutesbeing of metal and so small and numerous, theywould produce too great a friction upon the clothes, which would tend towear them, especially where the fabric is of a fine and delicatetexture, also twist and wind them up, so that it would requirea greaterlen gth of time to perfectly wash the clothes and an increased supply ofwater. These cylinders have also been oonstructedin the form of a cage,or, in other words, an open cylinder or drum formed by connecting aseries of angular or other formed bars to suitable heads, said barsbeing connected some distance apart, and running parallel with eachother and horizontally around the rim or periphery of the heads. Theseopen cylinders, as above referred to, allow the clothes to come incontact with toomuch water, which lessens the agitating effect upon themduring the rotation of the cylinder, the clothes becoming too wet andheavy.

The object of my invention is to remove the objections above referred toby producing a cylinder of a particular form upon its exterior andinterior, whereby the most delicate fabric can be thoroughlyandperfectly washed without injuring it, and requiring but a small quantityof water in the boiler. These objects I attain by the constructionsubstantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

In theaccompanying drawin gs, A represents the boiler, of sheet metal,within which is supported the cylinder B, constructed wholly of wood.The cylinder B consists of two starshaped heads, 0, to which areconnected longitudinal sections a of wood. These sections a, which aresimply flat boards, Iprefer to secure to the edges of the heads bysuitable screws, so that if 'one of the sections should become broken itcan be removed and a perfect one secured in its place, or should eitherhead become injured and worthless a new one can be substituted, as allthe sections are detachably connected to the heads. The cylinder B isprovided with a cover, D, which is suitably hinged to the main portionof the cylinder and fastened by any convenient means. The cylinder B hasopenings 1) running the entire length thereof. These openings are at theapex of the angle formed by the two slats connected to the oppositeedges of the points of the star-shaped heads C, so that it will allowone to wash with much less water than were the openings between thestar-points, which not only economizes in the use of soap, but requiresless time to heat the water, as the quantity is much smaller, and saveslabor in rotating the cylinder, as the greater the depth of the waterthe harder the cylinder will be to turn.

By reference to Fig. l of the drawings it will be seen that there is buta small quantity of water required of sufficient depth to simply touchthe apex of the angle when the cylinder is in position, as illustrated.When the cylinder is turned the apex of the angle will come a sufficientdistance below the surface of the water to take up the quantity neededand deposit it in a sheet over the clothes. The interior form of thecylinder, which is like that of the exterior, agitates the clothessufficiently to thoroughly wash them ,without twisting them up orwearing them, while at the same time they are kept wet just sufficientlyto render the clothes easily cleaned.

The boiler, which may be provided with suitable handles, has interiorconcave sides, 0, to

I of the star-shaped heads 0, having detachably connected theretosections a, with openings b extending the entire length of the cylinder,said sections serving to form the inner rubbin g-surface of thecylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE M. LANE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. FOWLER, GEO. R. BYINGTON.

